List of Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! episodes (2021)


The following is a list of episodes of Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!, NPR's news panel game, that aired during 2021.[1] All episodes, unless otherwise indicated, feature host Peter Sagal and announcer/scorekeeper Bill Kurtis, and are produced through the facilities of Wait Wait co-producer WBEZ/Chicago (participants join the show through remote links). Dates indicated are the episodes' original Saturday air dates. Job titles and backgrounds of the guests reflect their status at the time of their appearance.

January

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Date Guest Panelists Notes
January 2 "Best of 2020" episode featuring actors Christine Baranski & Doug Jones, disguise expert Jonna Mendez, and adventurer Kellee Edwards
January 9 Actress/singer Jane Krakowski Joel Kim Booster, Amy Dickinson, Maeve Higgins
January 16 Singer/songwriter Phoebe Bridgers Luke Burbank, Negin Farsad, Roxanne Roberts
January 23 Actor/singer Mandy Patinkin and actor Kathryn Grody[2] Josh Gondelman, Helen Hong, Mo Rocca Guest announcer/scorekeeper Chioke I'Anson
January 30 White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki Jessi Klein, Yassir Lester, Tom Papa

February

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Date Guest Panelists
February 6 Actor/screenwriter Owen Wilson Peter Grosz, Laci Mosley, Faith Salie
February 13 CNN anchor & political correspondent Abby Phillip Alonzo Bodden, Tom Bodett, Paula Poundstone
February 20 "Best of" episode featuring supermodel/TV host Tyra Banks, actors Sarah Paulson & Andrew Rannells, and basketball player A'ja Wilson
February 27 Aerospace engineer Swati Mohan Adam Felber, Mo Rocca, Dulcé Sloan

March

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Date Guest Panelists
March 6 Jordan Jonas, survival skills expert and Season 6 winner of Alone Brian Babylon, Peter Grosz, Charla Lauriston
March 13 Comedians & late-night TV hosts Desus Nice and The Kid Mero Karen Chee, Josh Gondelman, Maz Jobrani
March 20 Sam Sifton, food editor of The New York Times Amy Dickinson, Negin Farsad, Mo Rocca
March 27 Filmmaker Kemp Powers Alonzo Bodden, Helen Hong, Roxanne Roberts

April

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Date Guest Panelists
April 3 "Best of" episode featuring musician John Batiste and comediennes/actors Ali Wong and Chelsea Peretti
April 10 Fitness instructor Ally Love Joel Kim Booster, Maeve Higgins, Paula Poundstone
April 17 Singer/songwriter Michelle Zauner (Japanese Breakfast) Brian Babylon, Josh Gondelman, Faith Salie
April 24 Actor/singer André De Shields Adam Burke, Negin Farsad, Mo Rocca
Date Guest Panelists Notes
May 1 Tariq Trotter (Black Thought), rapper and lead MC of The Roots Adam Felber, Helen Hong, Laci Mosley
May 8 Drag performer Symone Alonzo Bodden, Luke Burbank, Paula Poundstone
May 15 U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts Karen Chee, Peter Grosz, Hari Kondabolu Guest host Maz Jobrani
May 22 Author and activist Jennifer Finney Boylan Tom Bodett, Negin Farsad, Maeve Higgins
May 29 Actor/comedian/TV host Joel McHale Helen Hong, Cristela Alonzo, Jessi Klein

June

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Date Guest Panelists
June 5 "Best of" episode featuring comedians Desus Nice & The Kid Mero, actors Mandy Patinkin & Kathryn Grody, and musicians Este & Alana Haim
June 12 Former NBA star and 2021 Hall of Fame enshrinee Chris Bosh Alonzo Bodden, Charla Lauriston, Roxanne Roberts
June 19 Actress/writer Anna Konkle Luke Burbank, Faith Salie, Dulcé Sloan
June 26 Musician and producer T-Pain Brian Babylon, Amy Dickinson, Josh Gondelman

July

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Date Guest Panelists Notes
July 3 Roger Bennett, soccer analyst and co-host of the Men in Blazers podcast Cristela Alonzo, Peter Grosz, Paula Poundstone Guest host Faith Salie
July 10 Audience-themed "best of" episode featuring actors Leslie Odom, Jr. & Regina King and surfer Laird Hamilton
July 17 Actress Phillipa Soo Gina Brillon, Helen Hong, Mo Rocca
July 24 Ellen Stofan, undersecretary for science & research at the Smithsonian Institution Karen Chee, Bobcat Goldthwait, Laci Mosley
July 31 Actor/writer Stephen Fry Tom Bodett, Maeve Higgins, Hari Kondabolu

August

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Date Guest Panelists Notes
August 7 Larry Krasner, district attorney of Philadelphia Alonzo Bodden, Mo Rocca, Dulcé Sloan Show recorded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, (Mann Center)
Wait Wait's first show before a live audience since March 2020[3]
August 14 "Best of" episode featuring actors Zach Galifianakis & Charlie Day and soccer star Kristine Lilly
August 21 "Relaxing" best-of episode featuring Singer/songwriter Phoebe Bridgers, survival skills expert Jordan Jonas, animated filmmaker Jennifer Lee, and actor Owen Wilson
August 28 Actress Jane Kaczmarek Josh Gondelman, Maz Jobrani, Paula Poundstone Show recorded in Lenox, MA (Tanglewood)
Guest announcer/scorekeeper Chioke I'Anson

September

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Date Guest Panelists
September 4 Actor Martin Short Emmy Blotnick, Peter Grosz, Helen Hong
September 11 Chef and TV personality Antoni Porowski Luke Burbank, Maeve Higgins, Laci Mosley
September 18 Journalist Yamiche Alcindor Cristela Alonzo, Brian Babylon, Tom Papa
September 25 Actor Bowen Yang Roy Blount, Jr., Hari Kondabolu, Faith Salie

October

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Date Guest Panelists Notes
October 2 Rapper/actor RZA Emmy Blotnick, Negin Farsad, Josh Gondelman
October 9 Comedian Ilana Glazer Adam Burke, Helen Hong, Roxanne Roberts
October 16 "Best of" episode featuring actors Joel McHale & Phillipa Soo, scientist Ellen Stofan, and rapper Black Thought
October 23 Actor Clint Howard and filmmaker Ron Howard Alonzo Bodden, Karen Chee, Maz Jobrani
October 30 New Jersey Devils defenseman P. K. Subban Josh Gondelman, Amy Dickinson, Peter Grosz Guest host Negin Farsad

November

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Date Guest Panelists Notes
November 6 Hip-hop artist Chance the Rapper Brian Babylon, Negin Farsad, Bobcat Goldthwait Show recorded at the Harris Theater in Chicago's Millennium Park
November 13 Actor and activist Ed Begley, Jr. Alonzo Bodden, Emmy Blotnick, Paula Poundstone
November 20 Basketball centers Brook Lopez (Milwaukee Bucks) and Robin Lopez (Orlando Magic) Adam Felber, Hari Kondabolu, Atsuko Okatsuka
November 27 "Best of" episode featuring actor/writer Stephen Fry, author Jennifer Finney Boylan, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, and basketball hall of famer Chris Bosh

December

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Date Guest Panelists Notes
December 4 Actress/singer Audra McDonald Adam Burke, Karen Chee, Maz Jobrani
December 11 Actors Bashir and Sultan Salahuddin Cristela Alonzo, Luke Burbank, Maeve Higgins Show recorded at the Harris Theater in Chicago's Millennium Park
December 18 Actress/singer Keke Palmer Tom Bodett, Mo Rocca, Faith Salie
December 25 Previously unaired panel and contest segments
"Best of" segments featuring actor Bowen Yang, former alpine skier Lindsey Vonn, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, and drag performer Symone

References

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  1. ^ "Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! archive". npr.org NPR:National Public Radio. npr.org. Retrieved 2021-01-02.
  2. ^ "Not My Job: Mandy Patinkin Is Big Into TikTok So We Quiz Him On Clocks," from NPR.org, 1/23/2021
  3. ^ "Larry Krasner finally discusses his infamous ponytail on NPR’s ‘Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me,’" from The Philadelphia Inquirer, 8/6/2021
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